Moisture in headlight

[Vostok]

I know this is a common problem with cars in general...

Anyone got a fix for this on the Marauder?

With enough sunshine it clears up but always comes back. :(

It rained HARD a couple days ago in Chicago and I had to be on the highway doing 80MPH as it was coming down full force so it got pretty ugly.

[justbob]

This used to be an issue with mine. I quit driving it and it went away.

You should come out to some meets, we are always up to something.

[Vostok]

This used to be an issue with mine. I quit driving it and it went away.

You should come out to some meets, we are always up to something.

im pretty new to this scene, i just got mine in november. how can i make sure im with all you chicago guys? :D

[LeoVampire]

I know this is a common problem with cars in general...

Anyone got a fix for this on the Marauder?

With enough sunshine it clears up but always comes back. :(

It rained HARD a couple days ago in Chicago and I had to be on the highway doing 80MPH as it was coming down full force so it got pretty ugly.

The little vent drain gets cloged up and or the seal around the lens give's way to allow in the moisture.

If it is discoloring on the inside take it out and pour that lime away stuff inside swish it around good to make it nice and clear again and it also allows you to find where the moister is getting inside of it so you can seal that area.

If you do not want to just replace it. Had to do all of this on my 1993 Grand Marquies.

[Vostok]

The little vent drain gets cloged up and or the seal around the lens give's way to allow in the moisture.

If it is discoloring on the inside take it out and pour that lime away stuff inside swish it around good to make it nice and clear again and it also allows you to find where the moister is getting inside of it so you can seal that area.

If you do not want to just replace it. Had to do all of this on my 1993 Grand Marquies.

I have not had any discoloring yet...

Trying to bite the problem in the butt before it gets worse.

I assume that would come in time, my old sables lights are yellow from it :P

So I should just take it out, dump more water in there and see where the leak is coming from? What should I use to seal the area once this is determined?

[LeoVampire]

I have not had any discoloring yet...

Trying to bite the problem in the butt before it gets worse.

I assume that would come in time, my old sables lights are yellow from it :P

So I should just take it out, dump more water in there and see where the leak is coming from? What should I use to seal the area once this is determined?

You can use soapy water to help show the leak better as the suds should help indicate where the leak is and stick to the area a bit longer.

I just used a very thin layer of clear silicone sealer to repair mine years ago on the GM and smoothed it into the area.

[babbage]

I just bought a set of eagle eye replacements on ebay - I think they were $120 shipped for (2) brand new MM headlights with new bulbs.

[Vostok]

I just bought a set of eagle eye replacements on ebay - I think they were $120 shipped for (2) brand new MM headlights with new bulbs.

Mine are in excellent condition, super clean. Just a small amount of condensation on one of them but enough to piss me off, lol. Replacing them is not really a consideration. Just looking to seal it up real good.

[babbage]

Mine are in excellent condition, super clean. Just a small amount of condensation on one of them but enough to piss me off, lol. Replacing them is not really a consideration. Just looking to seal it up real good.

Mine had some scuffs and scratches though - plus were like 6 years old, so I just replaced them just a suggestion if the clean + seal job doesn't workout.

[Ktorres1]

I had the same issue on my drivers side headlight and I simply drilled a 1/2 bit hole on each corner of the headlight. It let all of the moisture out and never had a problem since then! In fact it worked so well that I might just do it to other one that ain't even broke!

[bawazir]

I know this is a common problem with cars in general...

Anyone got a fix for this on the Marauder?

With enough sunshine it clears up but always comes back. :(

It rained HARD a couple days ago in Chicago and I had to be on the highway doing 80MPH as it was coming down full force so it got pretty ugly.

Dude come over my house, I'll fix it no charge

[knine]

im pretty new to this scene, i just got mine in november. how can i make sure im with all you chicago guys? :D
You can start by taking the weekend off and going to the regional meet in Kentucky with us !!

[GetMeMyStogie]

I fixed one of mine by resetting the factory butyl seal. Here's how:



Remove headlamp from vehicle.
Disconnect the headlight bulb socket, remove the socket from the wiring, and remove the wiring from the headlamp (push out the large grommet). You need to separate the socket from the wiring as it does not fit between the back of the reflector and the housing. (Removing the wiring might be optional, but I've done it each time I've opened a headlamp - there's grease in the connectors that will melt and could make a mess).
Remove the light bulb and retainer.
Place in oven preheated to 200ºF, leave for 5 minutes. Use an oven thermometer to ensure you're at 200ºF (my oven gets about 25ºF hotter than the dial says). If the temperature is too hot, the butyl will become too soft. If it's way too hot, the black bezel inside the headlamp will melt.
Remove from oven, support with lense facing up (I used a bunched-up towel - anything that keeps it from sliding around will do).
There are 6 molded retaining clips - unclip them as you lift the lense away from the headlamp body. If the butyl is very soft and sticky, it will stick to the lense and make a mess when you lift the lense away. If that's what you see, STOP - let the butyl cool, lower your oven temperature, and try again. The butyl should be soft, but firm enough to stay together (like plasticine or plumbers putty), not super soft (like uncured silicone). If you get some of the soft butyl onto the clear lense or onto the reflector, you won't be able to get it off cleanly without causing more damage.
With the lense separated from the headlamp, protect the exposed reflector. The shiny coating is extremely thin and very fragile - avoid rubbing it as much as possible. Do not get any fingerprints on it, or you may damage the shiny coating while trying to remove them. I used plastic wrap around the whole reflector, to keep the reflector dry during the next step - hard water stains can also be tricky to remove without damaging the reflective surface.
With a toothbrush and some soapy water, clean the butyl sealant that remains on the headlamp body. Rinse well. Carefully dry the housing, including behind the reflector. Remove the plastic wrap from the reflector.
Clean the sealing edge of the clear lense, and dry the lense with a towel.
With all of the contamination removed from the lense and the butyl sealant, you're ready to put the two back together.
Preheat your oven to 250ºF - this time you need a hotter oven so the butyl sealant becomes very soft, but without melting the black bezel. The bezel starts to distort at 295 ºF [275ºF is the max safe oven temp. When the electric elements turn on, the temp jumps a good bit - at 295F with elements on, the bezel is not soft, but when the elements light up, it gets soft].
Put the headlamp body into the oven for 5-7 minutes, until the butyl becomes very soft.
Remove the headlamp body, and using a flat blade screwdriver, smooth out the butyl until no evidence remains of the old "groove" in which the lense was previously positioned. If the butyl hardens too much before you're done, put it back in the oven for a few minutes to soften again.
With the butyl prepped, heat it up once more for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, position the lense over the headlamp and press it into place. Be sure to engage the six retaining clips. Allow to cool, and you're finished.


Total time for one headlamp is about 60 minutes.

[Ktorres1]

Total time of drilling was about as long as t takes you to setup your drill and 30 seconds later your all done

[tbone]

I had the same issue on my drivers side headlight and I simply drilled a 1/2 bit hole on each corner of the headlight. It let all of the moisture out and never had a problem since then! In fact it worked so well that I might just do it to other one that ain't even broke!


My fix too. So easy.:beer:

[GetMeMyStogie]

Total time of drilling was about as long as t takes you to setup your drill and 30 seconds later your all done

Yeah, this method probably works fine, too. Believe me, I considered it. But I have to wonder why they aren't like that from the factory - they do have a couple of built-in 'breathers' though, but they're not simple open holes.
I figure dirt (or dirty water) will eventually make it into the hole, so I decided to stay with the OEM design.